South Acton, London
Encyclopedia
South Acton is a place in the town of Acton, West London, situated 6.4 miles (10.3 km) west of Charing Cross
. At the time of the 2001 census
, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people.
The area is dominated by the South Acton housing estate, a large sink public housing
estate owned by Ealing Council. There are some 2000 residential dwellings on the estate, covering approximately 25 hectares of land. These are accommodated in a range of principally medium to high rise blocks
. The estate also provides shops, a youth club, a community centre, a nursery, school buildings and open space.
The area is well served by transport links. Acton Town, a major interchange for the District
and Piccadilly Line
s, with links to Heathrow and the West End
is on the western boundary. On the southern boundary is South Acton station, a London Overground
station running north to Hampstead Heath
and south to Richmond. The site is bounded to the north by Acton High Street, to the south by the London Overground railway line, to the east by a Victorian residential neighbourhood and to the west by Bollo Lane and the tube lines. To the south east, on the other side of the railway line, lie the suburban residential areas of Acton Green and Bedford Park.
The estate and area is also particularly diverse. Historically, the area has been important for Irish
Working Class
immigrants, and recently this has been supplemented by Somali
, India
n and Afro-Caribbean
immigration. Currently the population is 52% white, including 5% of Irish descent, 24% Afro-Caribbean, 16% Asian, with the last 8% being of other ethnic origins. A great range of first languages other than English are spoken at the local school.
Historically, the estate and the area has suffered from a poor reputation, in particular because of high levels of crime and drug dealing and use. However, recent efforts by the Council, local Safer Neighbourhoods Team and Ealing Homes (the council's housing management company) and local residents have seen improvements in the area. There are now ambitious plans to redevelop the majority of what is a mono-tenure estate, to provide a new mixed tenure community and benefit from the area's excellent transport links and proximity to the successful neighbourhoods of Chiswick and Ealing.
who sought to engineer the human machine Government subsidies and local politics also encouraged the production of system built and high rise housing.
The council embarked on comprehensive redevelopment in 1949 with the construction of Bollo Court. The redevelopment continued over the 50s, 60s and 70s with a variety of styles and archetypes.
The west area of the estate is bordered by Bollo Lane to the west, the industrial area and Bollo Bridge Road to the south, and the Victorian Housing along Heathfield Road to the north. The existing infant and junior schools with associated open space create an eastern boundary. The west area predominately comprises a mixture of mid to high rise tower blocks. Geographically this area is closest to Acton Town tube station and its excellent public transport connections. The last part of the site to be built dates from the late 1970s and is commonly referred to as the ‘red brick’ area, located at the north of the site, adjacent to the town centre. This area comprises a mixture of low rise and high rise blocks, with a large number of now unused underground car parks. It has a sloping site topography and lack of through roads, and is characterised by complex deck access circulation patterns, which are difficult to negotiate as a pedestrian.
Generally the estate is characterised by a series of slab blocks and towers set in mature landscaped open spaces which exploit the natural topography of the site. Flats on the upper floors of many of the taller buildings enjoy spectacular views across London. Some of the original inhabitants of the estate are still resident and can recall how pleasant it was when newly built. Traditionally the area was well served by local industries such as Wilkinson Sword and Lucas Aerospace but the last decade has witnessed a decline in traditional manufacturing employment and a steady deterioration of the physical environment.
The Council has been severely limited in its ability to invest in the fabric of buildings and the estate since it was built, primarily in the 1960s and 1970’s. The buildings themselves
and the public realm are now tired and significant new investment is necessary.
In 1999, NBA Consortium Services carried out a Stock Condition Survey. This identified a number of problems and shortfalls with the existing stock. These included need for concrete repairs, roof repairs, window replacements, better insulation standards, upgrading of lifts and common parts, access control and security as well as the need for improvements internally and to external spaces.
). The underground station is earmarked for a £2.5m refurbishment in the near future by London Underground
. There is, in addition, planning approval for a new station to serve Chiswick Park Phase 2, but this is currently on hold. Crossrail proposals, if they go ahead, will mean a fast connection between Paddington and Acton Central station.
For car users the location offers quick access to the A40 to the north and the A4/M4 to the south. Good bus services are available on Acton High Street and a limited service
(the 440) runs along Bollo Bridge Road.
. In addition there are a number of shops around Acton Town underground station. The main local shopping facilities are the Bollo Bridge Road shops, some of which are under used or closed. The Post Office was well used and seen as an important community facility. However, as part of the post office closures programme it was closed.. In addition there are further shops on Hanbury Road, some of which are presently well used and some converted for nursery use. There are a few additional shops, one in the south area of the estate and two in the north, which are now closed.
and Ealing Tertiary College. In addition the Chiswick Park development has a Health Club and there are numerous private gyms within the Acton area. Acton Baths is currently the subject of consideration of the Town Hall redevelopment proposals. Other community facilities include the Priory Centre, which is a centre used by Somali women and other community groups, the Oak Tree Community Centre, which provides crèche facilities, the Sunlight Nursery and Bollo Brook Youth Centre. SASAC, the South Acton Sewing and Arts Collaborative has been very successful and is operating as a business from a building in the west of the estate.
Groundwork West London have also been active on the estate and currently have two funded projects; upgrading the children’s play area on the recreation area to the east of All Saints Road and improvement works to the environment outside South Acton station. The allotments along the edge of the railway at the southern edge of the site are an important amenity. They are well used and have a waiting list.
latter has recently undergone building works which have combined the former Heathfield and Hanbury Nurseries into an extended Sure Start Centre of Excellence for Early Years Learning.
Berrymede Infant School caters for pupils aged 3–7, with pupils aged 7–11 being provided for at the separate Berrymede Junior School, which is located in two buildings located on either side of Osborne Road. The Indices of Deprivation 2004 show that the two schools have the highest deprivation ranking of all 65 primary schools in the Borough. Both schools have had good reports from their last OfSTED inspections and Berrymede Junior has the highest value added score in the Borough in the recently published league tables.
Most secondary age pupils from the area attend one of the three closest high schools (Acton High, Twyford CE High and The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls). Acton High School has been completely rebuilt and is now in brand new facilities. It is a specialist school for media arts. Education for pupils over the age of 16 is provided via the sixth forms at Twyford and Ellen Wilkinson schools and also the Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College, which has campuses on Ealing Green and in Hammersmith.
identified in Utopia on Trial of single entrances with multiple users, as well as complex deck access. It is also a result of a residualised social housing policy that has polarised entrants to social housing into the lowest income categories.
However, in recent years efforts have been made to tackle the problems. There are a number of drinking control areas on the estate and in Acton itself to tackle alcohol abuse. ASB and drug dealing is also being tackled by the Safer Neighbourhoods Team in partnership with Ealing Council, Ealing Homes and residents.
The framework proposed a mixed development is proposed, including the addition of new housing (public and private), community facilities, non-residential commercial development and retail.
The masterplanners recognised "a real opportunity to create a new high density urban quarter over the next decade, served as it is by Acton Town underground station on the Piccadilly Line and South Acton on the north London line." South Acton has a high PTAL rating, meaning that density could be conceivably double from the 2000 units, to near 3500 units.
The area has been described as "a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a completely new sense of place in what should be a high value area of west London."
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
. At the time of the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people.
The area is dominated by the South Acton housing estate, a large sink public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
estate owned by Ealing Council. There are some 2000 residential dwellings on the estate, covering approximately 25 hectares of land. These are accommodated in a range of principally medium to high rise blocks
Tower block
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, office tower, apartment block, or block of flats, is a tall building or structure used as a residential and/or office building...
. The estate also provides shops, a youth club, a community centre, a nursery, school buildings and open space.
The area is well served by transport links. Acton Town, a major interchange for the District
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
and Piccadilly Line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
s, with links to Heathrow and the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
is on the western boundary. On the southern boundary is South Acton station, a London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
station running north to Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London clay...
and south to Richmond. The site is bounded to the north by Acton High Street, to the south by the London Overground railway line, to the east by a Victorian residential neighbourhood and to the west by Bollo Lane and the tube lines. To the south east, on the other side of the railway line, lie the suburban residential areas of Acton Green and Bedford Park.
The estate and area is also particularly diverse. Historically, the area has been important for Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Working Class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
immigrants, and recently this has been supplemented by Somali
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n and Afro-Caribbean
British African-Caribbean community
The British African Caribbean communities are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were primarily indigenous to Africa...
immigration. Currently the population is 52% white, including 5% of Irish descent, 24% Afro-Caribbean, 16% Asian, with the last 8% being of other ethnic origins. A great range of first languages other than English are spoken at the local school.
Historically, the estate and the area has suffered from a poor reputation, in particular because of high levels of crime and drug dealing and use. However, recent efforts by the Council, local Safer Neighbourhoods Team and Ealing Homes (the council's housing management company) and local residents have seen improvements in the area. There are now ambitious plans to redevelop the majority of what is a mono-tenure estate, to provide a new mixed tenure community and benefit from the area's excellent transport links and proximity to the successful neighbourhoods of Chiswick and Ealing.
History of South Acton Estate
The area was originally built to a traditional Victorian street pattern with medium density terraced housing occupying the majority of the site. Although initially having good north/south links, the construction of the railway lines created a permanent barrier in these areas. In the post war period, the area was earmarked for comprehensive redevelopment that would involve clearance of the 19th century properties labelled as slums. This was a common response by local authorities to the problems of poor housing after the war and it led to the proliferation of medium and high rise system built housing estates, influenced by Modernist ideals of Le CorbusierLe Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
who sought to engineer the human machine Government subsidies and local politics also encouraged the production of system built and high rise housing.
The council embarked on comprehensive redevelopment in 1949 with the construction of Bollo Court. The redevelopment continued over the 50s, 60s and 70s with a variety of styles and archetypes.
Property types and description
The central area of the site comprises 1960’s tower blocks and slab blocks, including Charles Hocking House, Barwick House, Hardy Court, Carisbrooke and Ludlow Courts, which are set in a generous open pedestrian space, located to the north of Bollo Bridge Road. Although geographically close to the red brick area to the north of the site and the blocks to west of the site, the area is isolated by a lack of interconnecting roads.The west area of the estate is bordered by Bollo Lane to the west, the industrial area and Bollo Bridge Road to the south, and the Victorian Housing along Heathfield Road to the north. The existing infant and junior schools with associated open space create an eastern boundary. The west area predominately comprises a mixture of mid to high rise tower blocks. Geographically this area is closest to Acton Town tube station and its excellent public transport connections. The last part of the site to be built dates from the late 1970s and is commonly referred to as the ‘red brick’ area, located at the north of the site, adjacent to the town centre. This area comprises a mixture of low rise and high rise blocks, with a large number of now unused underground car parks. It has a sloping site topography and lack of through roads, and is characterised by complex deck access circulation patterns, which are difficult to negotiate as a pedestrian.
Generally the estate is characterised by a series of slab blocks and towers set in mature landscaped open spaces which exploit the natural topography of the site. Flats on the upper floors of many of the taller buildings enjoy spectacular views across London. Some of the original inhabitants of the estate are still resident and can recall how pleasant it was when newly built. Traditionally the area was well served by local industries such as Wilkinson Sword and Lucas Aerospace but the last decade has witnessed a decline in traditional manufacturing employment and a steady deterioration of the physical environment.
The Council has been severely limited in its ability to invest in the fabric of buildings and the estate since it was built, primarily in the 1960s and 1970’s. The buildings themselves
and the public realm are now tired and significant new investment is necessary.
In 1999, NBA Consortium Services carried out a Stock Condition Survey. This identified a number of problems and shortfalls with the existing stock. These included need for concrete repairs, roof repairs, window replacements, better insulation standards, upgrading of lifts and common parts, access control and security as well as the need for improvements internally and to external spaces.
Local Services and Facilities
There are a number of services and facilities within easy reach of South Acton.Transport
The estate is well served by public transport. Acton Town underground station (Piccadilly and District lines) provides access to the West End in 20 minutes and Heathrow Airport in a similar time. South Acton station (London Overground) has trains to Richmond and Hampstead HeathHampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London clay...
). The underground station is earmarked for a £2.5m refurbishment in the near future by London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. There is, in addition, planning approval for a new station to serve Chiswick Park Phase 2, but this is currently on hold. Crossrail proposals, if they go ahead, will mean a fast connection between Paddington and Acton Central station.
For car users the location offers quick access to the A40 to the north and the A4/M4 to the south. Good bus services are available on Acton High Street and a limited service
(the 440) runs along Bollo Bridge Road.
Retail
Acton High Street is the main local shopping centre, but has limited shopping facilities, although it does have a Morrison’s supermarket. Some local residents also use the Sainsbury’s in ChiswickChiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
. In addition there are a number of shops around Acton Town underground station. The main local shopping facilities are the Bollo Bridge Road shops, some of which are under used or closed. The Post Office was well used and seen as an important community facility. However, as part of the post office closures programme it was closed.. In addition there are further shops on Hanbury Road, some of which are presently well used and some converted for nursery use. There are a few additional shops, one in the south area of the estate and two in the north, which are now closed.
Community and Leisure
Local leisure facilities include Acton Baths, Reynolds Sports Centre, a games area on the South Acton Estate’s South Park, Twyford Church of England High SchoolTwyford Church of England High School
Twyford CofE High School is a co-educational Church of England high school located in Acton, west London. It consists of 1240 pupils aged 11–18 and prides itself on its "academic, social, spiritual, sporting, dramatic and musical" achievement. Twyford is a Specialist Music College, as well as a...
and Ealing Tertiary College. In addition the Chiswick Park development has a Health Club and there are numerous private gyms within the Acton area. Acton Baths is currently the subject of consideration of the Town Hall redevelopment proposals. Other community facilities include the Priory Centre, which is a centre used by Somali women and other community groups, the Oak Tree Community Centre, which provides crèche facilities, the Sunlight Nursery and Bollo Brook Youth Centre. SASAC, the South Acton Sewing and Arts Collaborative has been very successful and is operating as a business from a building in the west of the estate.
Open Space
The estate is characterised by a number of large open green spaces forming part of a wider network of green spaces. The most significant of these in terms of ease of access is the generous open space provision at the recreation ground on Bollo Bridge Lane, originally a walled Victorian Park but now opened up and framed by mature trees. Tenants and residents on the South Acton estate and wider community have unrestricted access to this space, as well as to Acton Park, Acton Green and Gunnersbury Park. Within the estate the playground on Avenue Road is a well used space and the open space currently used as a football pitch is an important asset for young people. In addition, the recently created South Park involved young people in the creation of a skateboard area but is under used.Groundwork West London have also been active on the estate and currently have two funded projects; upgrading the children’s play area on the recreation area to the east of All Saints Road and improvement works to the environment outside South Acton station. The allotments along the edge of the railway at the southern edge of the site are an important amenity. They are well used and have a waiting list.
Education, Employment and Training
There are a number of providers for nursery aged children within the area, including at Berrymede Infant School and the South Acton Early Years Excellence Centre. Thelatter has recently undergone building works which have combined the former Heathfield and Hanbury Nurseries into an extended Sure Start Centre of Excellence for Early Years Learning.
Berrymede Infant School caters for pupils aged 3–7, with pupils aged 7–11 being provided for at the separate Berrymede Junior School, which is located in two buildings located on either side of Osborne Road. The Indices of Deprivation 2004 show that the two schools have the highest deprivation ranking of all 65 primary schools in the Borough. Both schools have had good reports from their last OfSTED inspections and Berrymede Junior has the highest value added score in the Borough in the recently published league tables.
Most secondary age pupils from the area attend one of the three closest high schools (Acton High, Twyford CE High and The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls). Acton High School has been completely rebuilt and is now in brand new facilities. It is a specialist school for media arts. Education for pupils over the age of 16 is provided via the sixth forms at Twyford and Ellen Wilkinson schools and also the Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College, which has campuses on Ealing Green and in Hammersmith.
Bollo Brook Youth Centre
The Bollo Brook Youth Centre situated in the center of the estate, is statutory youth centre which specialises in arts based activities . In the youth center there are instruments, a recording studio, cooking lessons and internet access available for South Acton youths. Many teenagers are found here recording music, including UK Garage and Grime popular urban British genres. The centre is also used for daytime programmes with young people who are not in mainstream education, delivered in partnership with other voluntary and statutory sector organisations.Crime
Historically, crime has been a problem for the South Acton estate and it has attracted a reputation as a dangerous estate, with high levels of drug use and dealing, and other associated anti-social behaviour. The high levels of crime stem from a combination of poor design on parts of the estate that bear some of the features Alice ColemanAlice Coleman
Alice Mary Coleman is emeritus professor of geography at King's College London. She is noted for directing the 1960s Second Land Use Survey of Britain and for analyses of land use planning and urban design taken up by the political right....
identified in Utopia on Trial of single entrances with multiple users, as well as complex deck access. It is also a result of a residualised social housing policy that has polarised entrants to social housing into the lowest income categories.
However, in recent years efforts have been made to tackle the problems. There are a number of drinking control areas on the estate and in Acton itself to tackle alcohol abuse. ASB and drug dealing is also being tackled by the Safer Neighbourhoods Team in partnership with Ealing Council, Ealing Homes and residents.
Regeneration
As long ago as 1996 the council decided that redevelopment and regeneration was needed on South Acton to improve the quality of homes and of peoples lives. As noted above, lack of investment and poor original design and the high levels of maintenance necessary meant that refurbishment was not the preferred option.Masterplan
ECD Architects and Proctor and Matthews were appointed by Ealing Council to prepare an Urban Design Framework, or masterplan, for the regeneration of the South Acton Estate. This framework explores the potential of South Acton and sets markers for what could be achieved if redevelopment was to be pursued.The framework proposed a mixed development is proposed, including the addition of new housing (public and private), community facilities, non-residential commercial development and retail.
The masterplanners recognised "a real opportunity to create a new high density urban quarter over the next decade, served as it is by Acton Town underground station on the Piccadilly Line and South Acton on the north London line." South Acton has a high PTAL rating, meaning that density could be conceivably double from the 2000 units, to near 3500 units.
Phase 1
In 2001 Barrie House, a 21 storey tower block on the centre of the estate was demolished and Phase 1 of the regeneration of South Acton began with the re-development of this site in partnership with Catalyst. The scheme consists of 86 new homes, both social rented and shared ownership and was completed in 2005. In addition six blocks were refurbished internally and externally and the Oak Tree Community Centre (located on Osborne Road) was demolished and new centre (offering approximately twice the floor area) was built in its place. The new community centre opened in August 2007.Phase 2
Phase 2.1 on the site of Maugham Court, Reade Court , Lawrence Court, and Shaw Court Garages will deliver 129 new homes: 75 rented units and 54 shared ownership units, including 13 Wheelchair adapted units. Catalyst successfully gained full planning consent for this phase in November 2007. Construction of the new homes began in May 2008, with an estimated 2 years to complete the building works. Phase 2.2 on the site of Shaw Court and Kipling Tower car park will deliver a further 127 units with a similar split of rented and shared ownership units.Selecting a developer
Following the slow progress since the beginning of phase 1 and the development of the masterplan, the council decided that a new approach was needed. Instead of piecemeal development, a developer partner would be selected to deliver all future phases of development or refurbishment and to deliver a vision for South Acton.The area has been described as "a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a completely new sense of place in what should be a high value area of west London."
South Acton In Popular Culture
- Episode 1 of "how the other half lives" a channel 4 documentary showing the poverty of one family on the south acton estate compared family living in the rich part of the country.
- Harlech Tower, on the South Acton estate, was a stand-in for the fictional Nelson Mandela House, the home of Del BoyDel BoyDerek Edward Trotter, better known as "Del Boy", is the fictional lead character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and one of the main characters of its prequel, Rock & Chips...
in the popular sitcom Only Fools and HorsesOnly Fools and HorsesOnly Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
.
- Charles Hocking House is seen at the beginning of Steptoe and SonSteptoe and SonSteptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...
Series 8 Episode 1 "Back in Fashion"
- Scenes from the 1986 movie AliensAliens (film)Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Bill Paxton...
and the 1989 movie BatmanBatman (1989 film)Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
were shot inside the disused Acton power station.
- Musician M.I.AM.I.A. (artist)Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
in interviews has hinted one of the meanings of her stage name is "Missing in Acton", with Acton being the place she grew up.
- The Who, music band comes from Acton.
- The 1994 British drama 'Ladybird Ladybird' was shot all over Acton and was directed by Ken Loach.
Neighbouring places
- Chiswick
- Gunnersbury
- EalingEalingEaling is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
- Park RoyalPark RoyalPark Royal is an area in northwest London, UK. It is the largest industrial and business park in London, occupying about , and is promoted commercially by the Park Royal Partnership...
- Harlesden
- Shepherds Bush